Investigation of Changes and Physical Development Process of Ahwaz Metropolis with Emphasis on Social, Urban and Environmental Indicators

During the years 1955 to 2013, the city of Ahwaz has had the most physical changes in the city, causing the occupation and replacement of agricultural land and the conversion of these lands into residential and industrial facilities, and so on. In this study, attempts have been made to evaluate the changes that occurred between 1955 and 2013 using aerial imagery and remote sensing software and GIS. The results indicate that the most significant changes in the city of Ahvaz have been made within the land uses such as parking, religious spaces, military and law enforcement, social, educational, cultural, small workshops, facilities and urban equipment areas. Delphi technique was also used to measure the environmental impacts of urban expansion. The results showed that climate change, reduction of agricultural land production, reduced product diversity, resource degradation, heat pollution and climate pollution are the most important environmental impacts of urban expansion.